Don’t forget: Tonight, February 9, The Brooklyn Bugle/Brooklyn Heights Blog is presenting a special preview of BHB contributor/filmmaker Heather Quinlan’s If These Knishes Could Talk, “The Story of the New York Accent,” at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. Knishes and egg creams will be served. (buy tickets here).

Quinlan will host a Q&A before the screening of this special 25-minute version of her work-in-progress. All ticket sale proceeds will go to the completion of the full-length film.

The average high temperature for Brooklyn Heights in January is a chilly 39 degrees. With Tuesday’s sunny afternoon high of 57, day-timers embraced the unusually pleasant temps to traipse through Cadman Plaza Park en masse. Wednesday’s forecast: 60 degrees!

This Saturday, February 4, Grace Church, 254 Hicks Street (corner of Hicks and Grace Court) will hold its annual Winterfair. From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., you may shop for children’s clothes and toys, men’s and women’s clothing, books and CDs, sporting equipment, plants and flowers, furniture, housewares and tchatchkes. From 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the cafe will serve delicious hot luncheon entrees. Starting at 6:30 p.m., there will be a gala cocktail reception and silent auction; the theme of this year’s gala is “Russian Rhapsody.” (Disclosure: your correspondent’s wife is in charge of the auction.) Among the prizes available at auction will be goods and gift certificates from local merchants and restaurants, tickets to cultural and sporting events, antiques and art works. Admission to the Fair is free; tickets for the gala are $25 if purchased in advance from the parish office (718-624-1850), and will be available at the Fair for $30.

If you have items you would like to donate for sale at the Fair, please take them to the Church during the day today through Thursday. Books, CDs, children’s toys and clothing should be left on the stage in the downstairs gym; fleas, clothing, sports equipment, and the like should be put in the back side pews on the left of the Church. If you have items for the silent auction, please contact Martha Foley at 718-624-4306 or foley.martha@gmail.com

Theater 2020 will present the second of its two holiday season events, A Radio Christmas Carol, this Saturday afternoon at 3;00 p.m., at St. Charles Borromeo Church on Sidney Place. It is described as “Charles Dickens’ Christmas Classic Performed as a Radio Play complete with Foley Artist Sound Effects” and should be fun for adults and kids alike. You may make reservations and buy tickets at the Theater 2020 website, or pay at the door. Admission is a suggested donation of $20, but you may pay what you feel you can afford.

Your correspondent got home too late to see the Christmas tree lighting (or, actually, re-lighting) ceremonies yesterday. Fortunately, Mr. J. was there with cam to record the event. His video begins with some other Heights scenes. Enjoy! (Video after the jump.)

The Christmas tree at the Montague Street entrance to the Promenade is already ablaze with light (photo), but the official lighting, complete with carolers and local dignitaries, will happen this Wednesday evening (December 14) between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (You can catch part of the ceremony and head to Vineapple for the BHB gathering starting at 6:00.) The Daily News warns: “Drivers should avoid Montague St. and adjacent streets in Brooklyn Heights on Wednesday afternoon and early evening.”

And stop by the BHB Mixer at Vineapple after the tree lighting!

Mr. J. and his cam went to Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, to see the crowd assemble for SANTACON, then joined them on their march over the Brooklyn Bridge. Watch after the jump.

“Tis the Season to be Jolly”, and this morning, hundreds of merry-makers gathered at Brooklyn Bridge Park, tricked out as Santas, Mrs. Clauses, elves, reindeer, penguins (?), Christmas Trees — and someone labeled “Hanukkah Harry” — to join in the annual rite of SANTA CON, a free-wheeling holiday celebration organized by Facebook Pages and Twitter feeds. Santa is, of course, nothing without presents, and partakers were asked to bring non-perishable foods, which members of the USMC will deliver to the Food Bank for NYC. The assembled masses will spend the day meandering through area bars, and if they follow form from previous years, will be seen around the city late into the evening.

This week’s feature guest is musician Tyler Sussman, who will be playing the flute and didgeridoo.

Remember to bring shakers and blankets!

Calling all knitters and would-be knitters! Support Christmas at Sea, a program of the Seamen’s Church Institute that distributes handmade comfort to mariners who spend months at sea by knitting warm items, such as hats and scarves. If you are interested, please email the church at SAHT157@gmail.com or call us at 718-875-6960. Yarns and needles will be available at the Bee—or bring your own. Refreshments will be provided.

How often do you have the opportunity to get your craft on, chat with your neighbors and support a worthy cause all at once? Come on down to the St. Ann’s Knitting Bee. You’ll be glad you did!

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will light the Borough Hall Christmas Tree (last year’s in photo) this Monday, December 5, at 5:30 p.m. There will be entertainment (besides the always entertaining Marty) and a visit from Santa. Refreshments will be served afterward in Borough Hall.

Chanukah comes late this year. The first candle on the big menorah will be lit on Tuesday, December 20, at 5:00 p.m. Brooklyn Heights’ own Rabbi Aaron Raskin will join Marty for the ceremony and, again, refreshments will follow.

Addendum: It’s a busy weekend for fairs in the neighborhood. See AnnOfOrange’s comment to this post for a list.

Last night a bunch of Brooklynites gathered at Vineapple [71 Pineapple Street] to exchange good tidings for a Brooklyn Heights Blog mixer. Your host: Ed In Chief Homer Fink (in blue). Hot topic for the night: the breaking news about Watchtower buying rights to re-route the BQE through Clark Street, veering onto Hicks and under Willow, with a sky tower replacing most residences on Pierrepont. Wow! Sorry you missed out… (kidding, kidding).

The Danish Seamen’s Church will hold its annual Christmas Fair this Saturday, November 19, from 11a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Church, 102 Willow Street (just south of Clark Street) and at Plymouth Church, Orange Street between Henry and Hicks, and on Sunday, November 20 from 11:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. at the Danish Seamen’s Church on Willow only. A description of last year’s festivities, which were held on Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday, is here. Thanks to reader Monty for alerting us.

Come test your wits with themed rounds about all sorts of Brooklyn ephemera including music, movies, geography, and all-around general knowledge. We’ll have music clues, movie clips, and more! If trivia’s not your thing, come by to cheer on the game and enjoy a Brooklyn Brewery beer in one of the most stunning interiors in Brooklyn. Come as a team, or come solo and we’ll find you a team. Prizes include tickets to Urban Oyster’s Brewed in Brooklyn Tour, where you and your friends will explore the past and present of Brooklyn’s beer brewing Industry and the people behind it; Brooklyn Brewery Local 1; Brooklyn neighborhood guides; memberships to BHS; and more. Food will be available for purchase.

Tickets are $10, or $8 for BHS members, are good for admission plus one Brooklyn Brewery beer or bottled water, and can be purchased here.

This plastic animal may or may not be the infamous Blue Pig of Busy Chef fame however it IS for sale. It sits in the window of the former Dallas Jones BBQ space on Atlantic Avenue with a sign bearing the phone number of the seller.

The Brooklyn Women’s Echange, shown in the photo in last year’s holiday garb, is beginning its weekly holiday craft events tomorrow, Sunday, November 13.

We’re feeling very crafty this weekend. Join us tomorrow, Sunday the 13th, for Children’s Crafting from 11 to 1 – we’ll be making nutcracker and holiday fairy peg dolls, using felt and fabric– and for our Artists at Work series the fabulous Spin City Yarn Spinners will be demonstrating the fine art of yarn spinning from 2 to 4!

There will be more events on succeeding sundays through the holiday season. Next Sunday there will be more children’s crafts in the morning and potter Drew Montgomery demonstrating his art on the wheel in the afternoon. And, don’t forget, the Exchange will host silhouette artist Deborah O’Connor this coming Thursday and Friday, November 17 and 18. To make an appointment, come to the shop, 55 Pierrepont Street (between Henry and Hicks) or call 718-624-3435.

Sure it’s for the kids, but this is an “adult only” event.

Celebrate Reading flyer [PDF]

No need for advance tickets, just show up at Vineapple on Thursday. Bring a blanket for your child to sit on and some shakers so they can play along. There’s a $15 suggested donation.

Our man in the NYS Senate Daniel Squadron handed out candy (aka Squadron Bars) to costumed kids at yesterday’s Pierrepont Playground Halloween Parade. Brooklyn Beep Marty Markowitz was on hand as well. He amped up the crowd by mentioning Travel + Leisure Magazine had named the Heights one of America’s Most Beautiful Neighborhoods. He also made sure to note that Brooklyn has been declared the coolest city in America by GQ Magazine. And that’s when some guy yelled out, “Secede now!” Ok, that was me.

Photo: Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz at yesterday’s event. Photo: Mrs. Fink.

The ninth annual Howl-o-Ween dog parade, sponsored by Perfect Paws, with after-party presented by Vinegar Hill Veterinary Group, took place today on the Promenade under sunny skies, though with a fall nip in the air.Over fifty contestants showed up in a great variety of costumes, including Wellington (photo), held by owner Stacey Mankoff, and dressed as Chef Cora of Iron Chef. More photos and a video after the jump.

Pan Am captain and cabin crew, ready for takeoff.

Moxie came as a groupie…

…and Lily as a punk rock star. These two should have gotten together.

BHB contributor Matthew (“Off with his head!” said the camera) Parker restrains “Napoleon” from attacking “Marie Antoinette.”

The 99% were represented…

…as were the 1%, both human…

…and canine.

A distinguished panel of judges considered each entrant carefully. And the first prize winner was…

…Matthew Parker’s “French Revolution” entry. Allons enfants…

This coming pre-Halloween weekend will be a busy one for the neighborhood. The Junior Committee of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy will host the second annual All Hallows Bash Saturday evening, October 29, from 8:00 to 1:00 a.m., at One Brooklyn Bridge Park (360 Furman Street). This year’s theme is “Heroes and Villains”; there will be prizes for the best costumes. You must be 21 or older to attend. There’s more information here, and you can buy tickets ($50 in advance; $60 at the door) here. There’s also the Kids’ Halloween Parade Saturday morning, and, of course, the Howl-O-Ween Parade Sunday afternoon.

Dog owners and those that love them:  A reminder that the 9th Annual Heights Doggie Howl-o-Ween Parade and Costume Contest is this Sunday, October 30th at 1pm.   Contestants and onlookers meet at the Remsen Street entrance to the Promenade and stroll in Halloween Costume regalia to the north end to face a panel of celebrity judges.  Tickets to register your pooch are $25 and should be purchased in advance at Perfect Paws (102 Hicks Street, corner of Pineapple).  All proceeds donated to animal charities.

Fun, prizes, and the fabulous afterparty where winners are announced down the hill sponsored by Vinegar Hill Vet at 57 Front Street.

The forecast is for ideal weather and fun.  Come on down, it’s free to watch.